Liberal intelligentsia circa 1990: “You know, you fundamentalist types are all hung up on sex. If you would just lose your hangups, things would be better. Take pornography for instance, it is the taboo associated with it that makes it “forbidden” and therefore tantalizing. If we could just get rid of the taboo, most people would lose interest in it.”

Well, they got their wish. For the last fifteen years, almost every last bit of the taboo against pornography has been eradicated from our culture. Pornography is everywhere.

Once upon a time, pornography was a rare thing. When I grew up, my only exposure to pornography was from that sweaty kid down the street. He had a mustache at 14 and he kept a few Playboy magazines under his mattress until his mother found them. Then we didn’t see him again for a month.

Now pornography is everywhere. It invades your home like termites and you need to be ever vigilant to keep it out. It is on demand on your television and it is never more than a click away on your computer. Porn has gone mainstream.

Porn references are more common on television than God references. Porn actresses now regularly make the crossover into “regular” television and movies, but which themselves are increasingly pornographic. Even so-called “conservative” news outlets do not miss a day without a celebrity bikini slide show and/or a discussion of some celeb breast enlargement, did she or didn’t she?

So the liberal intelligentsia got their wish and have been proved right and all us fundamentalists have been shown the door? Pornography is much less popular for want of taboo, no?

The top adult entertainment companies include Vivid Entertainment (US), Playboy (US), Frenesi Films (Brazil) and Erostream (Netherlands). Some of the major porn producing nations are Spain, Japan, Russia and Germany. According to toptenreviews.com, the countries with the largest revenue from the porn industry (in 2006) include China ($27.40 billion), South Korea ($25.73 billion), Japan ($19.98 billion) and the US ($13.33 billion).

The porn industry is a major component of the world economy, generating large scale revenue and employment. According to toptenreviews.com, over $3,000 is spent every second across the world on pornography

So were the fundamentalists right? What is a fundamentalist anyway other than someone who says something unpleasant that you know to be true?

We have/had taboos for a reason. It is called concupiscence. Sin is attractive and it will ever be thus. Taboos exist to protect our society, especially our young, from the ravages of such attractive sin. Every generation before us knew this and practiced it. We jettisoned it and what do we have to show for it? Generation porno.

In Generation porno we actually have to advise our children not to send naked pictures of themselves to their friends, or even take naked pictures of themselves lest their phones be hacked. We actually have to have these conversations. I am no sociologist, but I don’t think we are better off for it, do you?

I know that this will likely fall on deaf ears. Maybe if I make a sex tape, I will be popular and then people will listen to me?

I remember when porn was considered shameful. Do you the year that porn became mainstream? 1973! The same year abortion was legalized along with the G.A.Y. movement with homosexuals. Of course women are into porn today cause many guys are into it and its a way to feel less pain about broken relationships. But porn can make men IMPOTENT if they masterbate. Some men cant even have normal intercourse with their wives anymore some men ever start looking at kiddy porn and get crazy like ancient greece; women shouldnt enjoy porn but it doesnt make us impotent….BTW I DONT USE PORN, JUST KNOW OF UNHAPPY WOMEN WHO DO

Posted by Corita on Thursday, Jan, 19, 2012 8:03 PM (EDT):

BTW, here are some stats compiled at the online self-help divorce site divorcewizards.com:

http://www.divorcewizards.com/Divorce-Statistics-Pornography.html

It includes this quote:
“At a 2003 meeting of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, two thirds of the 350 divorce lawyers who attended said the Internet played a significant role in the divorces in the past year, with excessive interest in online porn contributing to more than half such cases. Pornography had an almost non-existent role in divorce just nine or ten years ago.”

Posted by Corita on Thursday, Jan, 19, 2012 7:48 PM (EDT):

@JimP, If you have a disagreement with athenian, why don’t you speak it articulately? Does the secret camera showing you pictures of her make it impossible for you to use logic? Or is it just that ugly women are automatically disqualified from having a point?
.
Something I have noticed in my years on this earth: Men who can’t figure out how to stand tall in an argument with a woman often resort to name-calling. The especially woman-hating ones usually start with her looks.
.
BTW, athenian, I disagree with jsut about everything you have written. But JimP has got to be told.

Posted by athenian_oracle on Wednesday, Jan, 18, 2012 4:43 PM (EDT):

@Shatzi - Organized religion is dangerous. Sure, some of the commandments are aligned well with our modern day legal system, but the bible is also full of all kinds of misogyny that is harmful to women and children. In Genesis chapter 3, God punishes Eve, and all women for thousands of years, with greatly increased pain during childbirth. No such pain is inflicted on Adam. In Ephesians 5:22-24 we find this: “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” In Exodus 35:2 God lays down this commandment: “For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it must be put to death.” (seems pretty harsh…) In Leviticus 20:13: “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death; their blood is upon them.” (again, pretty harsh) And then we have Exodus Chapter 21, verse 20: “If a man beats his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies as a direct result, he must be punished, but he is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two, since the slave is his property.” (wow, slavery, huh?) So tell me again how the bible and religion are good for our children? I also enjoy how you, like everyone else on this site, enjoys a dichotomous view of the world. Children either go to church, or they watch trash tv. Did you ever stop to think that there are children who do neither, or both? Did you ever consider that there might be parents out there who love their children and teach them how to be good people without exposing them to the bible or organized religion? No. You live in a world of black & white and are thus blind to the actual wonders of the world you live in. My children, however, are educated, thoughtful, considerate young people who will grow up knowing love (and not learning about hate and intolerance through the church).

Posted by Shatzi on Wednesday, Jan, 18, 2012 2:18 AM (EDT):

“Rover” up there on the comments is so typical of Liberals. The article is spot-on, and he won’t admit that Liberalism has destroyed our youth, from TV, Hollywood, teen novels, NEA Union school systems, game companies, even clothes stores who only seem to sell hooker clothes to girls. Women’s lib has gotten us nowhere. Teen girls want to get pregnant by age 14, and the boys who impregnate them and then vanish are called “babydaddies” as if it’s funny. Libs were all about free condoms to stop pregnancy and disease for example. Both those things are on the rise. Rover has decided to instead attempt to change the subject and resort to cheap name calling. No, not every person who steps inside a church believes the earth is flat. I have no idea why the Left is so hateful, esp towards religion (except Islam). Are things like “Don’t Kill,” “Don’t Steal,” and “Do Unto Others” really some sort of threat? I’d rather see kids learn self-respect in Sunday school than see them watch trash TV.

Posted by athenian_oracle on Tuesday, Jan, 17, 2012 1:34 AM (EDT):

Actually Jim, I share my bed with my loving husband, so thanks again for proving how religious people think they know more about the truth than they actually do. Ignoramus!

Posted by JimP on Sunday, Jan, 15, 2012 2:33 AM (EDT):

@athenian
you’re an ugly troll with no interest in truth, just another round of “gotcha” in place of a bed with an empty half you’ll never fill. the fact is in real life you’d keep those opinions where they belong or risk losing the few members of your social graph that can still stand you. yeah *now* you complain about discourse.

Posted by athenian_oracle on Sunday, Jan, 15, 2012 1:51 AM (EDT):

If momofthree wants to use actual quantifiable claims to back up her stories, then she needs to back up her numbers: “Porn addictions are now implicated in over 50% of divorces.” - that’s a lot of implications, so a source should be cited, otherwise it comes across as a fabricated truth - something that religious types like to toss around all the time as “fact” when attempting to “argue” with others. @Anthony, take a moment to reflect upon the language both you and Jim have chosen to confront me with and ask yourself if yours sounds like the kind of superior discourse you believe it to be.

Posted by Anthony S. Layne on Sunday, Jan, 15, 2012 1:40 AM (EDT):

@ athenian_oracle: Yes, I can tell you have some acquaintance with linguistics, as you’re able to give the grammatical construction of “I AM”, and are able to put together insults such as “fundamentalist religious clowns” and sarcastic jibes at homeschooling (which doesn’t do much to demonstrate either your superiority or your maturity). But at this point “we’re” not having a conversation ... YOU’RE engaging in argument by sneer, and I’M pointing out that you’re being insulting. If you want anybody to take you seriously, then drop the name-calling.

Posted by JimP on Sunday, Jan, 15, 2012 12:36 AM (EDT):

@athenian
i can see that fat ugly bottom of yours had no time for diplomacy.

Posted by athenian_oracle on Saturday, Jan, 14, 2012 11:13 PM (EDT):

@Anthony S - If “I am” is not part of the English language as I described above (in support of anyone’s attempt to describe what they ARE in life) then please educate me on my misuse of the English language, not Hebrew. As someone who is very well educated at the graduate level in law, linguistics, and biology, I worry about your ability to participate in arguments at the adult level. Please rephrase your request as an adult, and then I might be able to have a conversation with you.

Posted by David G on Saturday, Jan, 14, 2012 10:24 PM (EDT):

That pornography is anti-sexual and anti-erotic is abundantly clear to me. Does it help me love my wife at a deeper level? Does it inspire the passion that is erotic love within the context of marriage? Pornography seduces one into thinking that full sexual self-expression can take place outside of the sacred space of the marital bond.

Posted by anna lisa on Saturday, Jan, 14, 2012 8:39 PM (EDT):

Momofthree, you made my day!

Posted by momofthree on Saturday, Jan, 14, 2012 8:25 PM (EDT):

Anthony
I used to be prone to adolescent snotfests at regular intervals when I was in my twenties. Still recovering and regretting. I was so angry and mad and fearful…but at all the wrong people. I used to hang out with other deluded people who spent endless hours debating and fighting for legalized pot as if that was the greatest injustice of the world. We gave money to the World Wildlife Fund and UNICEF, then turned around and were rude, mean and ungrateful to our parents and grandparents. We thought we were so smart, so cool, so accepting…we didn’t realize how incredibly selfish we were. We got advanced degrees and smoked cigarettes while reading Hunter S. Thompson and Ayn Rand and thought we knew it all. We wasted so much time. “Evil makes you think you have all the time in the world.” Lewis?

Posted by Anthony S. Layne on Saturday, Jan, 14, 2012 7:21 PM (EDT):

@ athenian_oracle: “I AM” translates the first two letters of the tetragrammaton (YHWH), the Hebrew letters of God’s ineffable Name: “I AM WHO AM” (Gen 3:14). Now that I’ve enlightened your ignorance, why don’t you come off your high horse and apologize to both Mary De Voe and momofthree for your adolescent snotfest?

Posted by momofthree on Saturday, Jan, 14, 2012 5:23 PM (EDT):

athenian_oracle First of all: I was not homeschooled…public school girl here! Second…you are awfully mad….Third…sorry it took me a while, I wasn’t getting comments in my email for some reason…Fourth: here is the stat: http://www.divorcewizards.com/Divorce-Statistics-Pornography.html.

Go ask your local priest/pastor/rabbi/counselor…they can tell you how serious the problem is.

BTW…I have two masters degrees, hard science for one, and have published in peer-reviewed journals. For whatever it is worth.

You might be young…don’t make the mistakes that i did when I was in my 20’s…don’t be afraid…open your heart…be prudent…have some children…love them and give your other gifts to the world too. You can do both…but maybe not all at once.

@momofthree - site your source. Or were you not taught how to do that when you were home schooled?

Posted by athenian_oracle on Thursday, Jan, 12, 2012 6:36 PM (EDT):

@Mary De Voe - “I AM” is not God’s name, it is a grammatical construct in the English language. “AM” is a conjugation of the verb “to be” and “I” serves as the subject of the sentence. You fundamentalist religious clowns really do need lessons in grammar, culture, and science before you open your mouths. Right now the things you type and post only highlight how ignorant you are…

Posted by Monica on Tuesday, Jan, 10, 2012 1:17 PM (EDT):

This is an insidious problem in our world and it’s just a more widespread, easily available form of lust than was available in years past. A (man) used to have to drive to some seedy part of town, pull up his coat collar and pull down his hat and shuffle into some little shop with the shades drawn to buy his filth wrapped in a brown paper bag. Today’s man just sits down to his laptop in his house or his hotel room…or just turns the t.v. on in his livingroom. Note: the link to the article about E.D. linked to pornography is graphic and not suitable for most viewers (unnecessarily detailed). Also, regarding the comment about bathing suits on the beach. This is such an tiresome defense. Dear Lady: NEWSFLASH! Men are aroused by girls and women wearing only their underwear, whether it’s in the bedroom or on the beach…FACT, like it or not. Bikini’s are underwear made out of shiny, “waterproof” material. Also, the commenter who prefaced their statement by saying “I’m not a prude….” What on earth is wrong with being thought to be PRUDENT? Christians should be prudent. We can’t be “one of the guys” and Catholics too, I’m sorry, but we’ve been trying to make that compromise from the very beginning and it doesn’t work. We are to be in the world but not of it.

Posted by bill bannon on Sunday, Jan, 8, 2012 2:19 PM (EDT):

Fox and Friends’ Gretchen’s (et al) daily thigh to rump display of short dresses is the Rupert Murdoch mix of conservative politics mixed with soft porn sex that his newspapers had long ago. Will we ever void his Order of St. Gregory status…pray for Gretchen putting honor before cash…seriously.

Posted by momofthree on Saturday, Jan, 7, 2012 6:05 PM (EDT):

mrsceecee, respectfully, you are very wrong. Porn addictions are now implicated in over 50% of divorces. The amount, variety, intensity, violence, and general degradedness of the porn available today is totally new. Compare the heinous bondage, bestiality scenes that were recently downloaded at a boys sleepover party in my town, and resulted in a town-wide war. Some people actually thought it was normal for their 12 year olds to see such a thing at someone else’s home. You are like the frog in the boiling water that cannot perceive the sea change around you.

Posted by Greg on Friday, Jan, 6, 2012 7:57 PM (EDT):

“Hell and destruction are never filled: so the eyes of men are never satisfied.” - Proverbs 27:20

Posted by teddybear on Thursday, Jan, 5, 2012 5:03 PM (EDT):

It is sad how so much immoral filth is acceptable. There is a teacher in Massachusetts, who, just 6 months ago, film his most recent gay porn flick. Many kids at the school see nothing wrong with this and want to see him get his job back.

I’m not a prude but feel there is a time and place for everything-yet immodesty and blunt sexual content on the tv, radio, magazines and the internet is too easy to find. All these SICKoms on TV or full of crude humor-and the commericals are just as bad. For 2 years, I have completely stopped watching network and cable (except for EWTN and PBS).

The whole sexual content and gay lifesyle junk is so boring. There’s nothing shocking or provoking about it. And hearing sexual terms for body parts on TV shows and radio during all hours is disgusting and would have gotten me a smack in the mouth when I was younger.

What an embarrassing and shamelss state our world is in.

Posted by Anthony S. Layne on Thursday, Jan, 5, 2012 12:33 PM (EDT):

@ rover serton: Pat’s point with the comment, “What is a fundamentalist anyway other than someone who says something unpleasant that you know to be true?” is that “fundamentalist” is a very convenient way to dismiss someone’s argument a priori, precisely because it calls forth the very tropes you quoted: flat earth, 6000 year old, ID, etc. (Christian fundamentalists don’t necessarily believe in those things, either; “fundamentalist” refers to their adherence to sola fides and sola scriptura as “fundamentals of the faith”.) If someone doesn’t immediately cave in to “progressive” thinking — in fact, if he goes so far as to advocate traditional Christian morality — just call him a “fundamentalist” and you’ve tagged him as an ill-educated, mouth-breathing, Hee-Haw-watching lout. Just like you did.

I’m pretty sure that showing a minor pornography is against the law and considered child abuse.Otherwise, you are helping her commit a heinous crime. You really should talk to your friend/report her. It looks like you want to be charitable with your friend and that is why you are struggling with speaking to her, but for the sake of her daughter and out of your respect for the law, you should act now.

Posted by Corita on Wednesday, Jan, 4, 2012 10:16 PM (EDT):

@anna lisa: I agree that we have to be willing to be forthright and honest with our children about the myriad of ways that people use each other. Not to destroy their innocence, to be sure. But when they encounter examples (there are many others besides porn that will crop up when they are young) then we can talk about it in an age-appropriate way.

I agree that protecting their innocence is important. But also be willing to discuss any and all subjects that arise, without fear, or shaming the child. This life definitely requires more courage than I thought it would, when I dreamed of my own family.

Posted by Corita on Wednesday, Jan, 4, 2012 10:13 PM (EDT):

It is hard to avoid porn. Once at a friend’s house I found stacks of Playboys on the bookshelf of her 5yo daughters’ room. She thinks it is funny that they look at them. She seems totally clueless about its destructive power. Needless to say I do not let my children play there anymore and have struggled mightily with discussing it with her.
/
I grew up in a household with porn, despite my dear Catholic mother’s begging, cajoling and sometimes threatening over it. The effects of that have convinced me that I could probably forgive my husband an affair more easily than I could a proclivity for porn. He knows this about me.

As far as protecting my family goes, we are starting by not having tv. We have Netflix to watch instantly, no commercials. We are educating our boys from the earliest ages to see people as whole persons who deserve no less than to be treated as such. The only way to fight the influence of porn is to counter it from the pre-porn age with a gospel of human dignity.

Posted by anna lisa on Wednesday, Jan, 4, 2012 5:21 PM (EDT):

I remember reading a biography of Queen Isabella of Spain when I was much younger. Isabella and her husband Ferdinand were called “The Catholic Monarchs”. I was shocked to find out that Isabella not only had to live with the reality that her husband was unfaithful, but that she kindly allowed a child of this union to have a place at court. Charles V was the “Holy Roman Emperor”, and left children scattered all over Europe. A priest explained to me that pornography has brought to the “common man” (and woman if you read the stats!) temptations that were not so easily accessable in the past. I think this is why we need to address this *new reality* with our children with frank forthrightness. We need to “interpret” culture for them BRAVELY, so we are not tempted to reject it, or scrub down everything with a bucket of bleach. This is NOT for the *faint of heart*.

Posted by Matt on Wednesday, Jan, 4, 2012 3:56 PM (EDT):

Lee,

Thanks for the kind words. Sarcasm is so hard to read. Maybe end with [/sarc] for us more literal/gullible readers?

Posted by Lee Gilbert on Wednesday, Jan, 4, 2012 2:56 PM (EDT):

Matt,

No, my problem that is that I was being sarcastic in an inept sort of way and didn’t get my point across. Hopefully, that is clear in the latter part of the post.

You sound like you have a great family life. You won’t regret it.

Posted by mrsceecee on Wednesday, Jan, 4, 2012 11:27 AM (EDT):

Bikini slideshows is porn? What do you do at the beach? I thought porn is for sexual arousal and acts. I guess everyone definition of porn is different. How do you even know a porn actress from a regular actress do they list it on the bio on the TV show or movie? Porn has never been a rare thing. We just had different mediums to get to it and with the internet and cell phones it’s just much easier. And for those whose children are searching for porn on the internet it might be time to have a discussion with them about their curiosity about sex rather than just blocking the site. No I’m not an advocate for porn I just realize that it’s out there and people get “addicted” to it for various reasons that have nothing to do with the availability of it. And as many have stated many of the women and men may have been trafficked, drugged or threatened in order to perform such acts.

Posted by Kathleen C on Wednesday, Jan, 4, 2012 8:53 AM (EDT):

‘I know that this will likely fall on deaf ears.’ Neither deaf nor blind brother.This is a major psycho-spiritual problem.I pray for our girls to be viewed as the precious human beings they are, not to be regarded as a consumer item to be used and discarded . I pray for our boys to get the right messages about true masculine identity that will enable them to be men of honour.
Thank-you and God bless

It is readidly apparent that sin is everywhere…...Do not shove it down my throat when I didn’t ask for it, didn’t want it, and don’t need it !

Posted by Nancy on Wednesday, Jan, 4, 2012 2:06 AM (EDT):

For anyone who still thinks porn is a victimless crime, you should know that the children and women depicted may have been trafficked. You don’t know where the images were shot, or the circumstances of anyone in the films. So many innocents are deceived or kidnapped into the porn industry, even in the USA. The excellent documentary “Nefarious: Merchant of Souls” documents mostly the prostitution end of trafficking, but the same tactics are used to trap people in the porn industry.

Thanks for passing along the Pink Cross info—I will be checking that out.

Posted by Nancy on Wednesday, Jan, 4, 2012 1:59 AM (EDT):

Just wanted to let readers know that Covenant Eyes works well. In fact, my husband will probably get e-mails this week because I’m reading this article. It’s a must for anyone with children of computer-using ages (we all share one competer at our house).

Posted by rover serton on Tuesday, Jan, 3, 2012 10:30 PM (EDT):

Mary: I dont’ know how germain it is that I’m an Athiest to this post. I was simply stating that Fundys are not always right. “I AM” is NOT Gods name by the way. I read most blogs here to learn and normally don’t comment unless atheism is brought up, but I don’t normally hear fundy’s being praised and I was questioning that.

Do you agree with the statement:“What is a fundamentalist anyway other than someone who says something unpleasant that you know to be true?”

Posted by New Yorker on Tuesday, Jan, 3, 2012 9:18 PM (EDT):

Question: Do you think the women involved with pornograpghy would do the things they are doing if there was no such thing as artificial contraception? Would the men do the things they are doing if there was a chance of pregnancy and they would be tasked with supporting all the resultant children? Oh, I forgot. That’s what abortion is for. Looks like Pope Paul VI was absolutely correct in Humanae Vitae. Artificial contraception is the root of the problem. It enables rampant promiscuity (even for married people), more divorce, more abortions (not less), more pornograpghy, plumeting birth rates (look at Europe)and the steady degradation of women (followed closely by the rest of society). God help us.

Posted by Matt on Tuesday, Jan, 3, 2012 6:40 PM (EDT):

I visited The Pink Cross, read and listened to the testimonies and saw the footage of porn actresses being raped. I was physically sickened at the sight. I used to think porn was two consenting adults having fun and getting paid. That’s a complete lie. The porn “stars” are often coerced under violence or threat of violence, tricked, blackmailed, etc., in many of those productions. The sheer evil acts committed made me sick enough to abhor pornography and lose all desire to return. Visit the site and see the humanity in the former porn stars, the hope they have in being healed, and have compassion for those who have fallen. It has thoroughly changed my perspective and helped me to be healed from porn addiction.

Posted by Matt on Tuesday, Jan, 3, 2012 6:11 PM (EDT):

@Lee Gilbert

“It’s necessary to stay plugged in, because one always wants to come off as a regular guy and not be regarded as a religious nut or an extremist of any sort.”

Your first problem is in trying to define yourself by worldly standards or appear as you are as worldly as the next guy. Don’t worry about the rest of the world, worry about yourself, your wife, and your children. First and foremost, protect your soul. Image is nothing. What good is it to “come off as a regular guy” if you have lost your soul in the process? We have no cable tv in our house, and our children watch little more than veggietales. I watch less than 1 hour of TV per week. We have a garden, participate in Church activities, enjoy shooting guns at the range, and visiting family. We don’t dress like 1880, don’t carry a self-righteous zeal, we don’t speak like the apostles. We do share God’s love and spread the Gospel using words only when necessary. A “regular guy” looks at porn, ignores his family, is not overly concerned with the state of his soul. I do not want to be confused for one of them.

Posted by Bil on Tuesday, Jan, 3, 2012 6:11 PM (EDT):

as a side-bar note to your article…The technology we all enjoy and through which I am reading and sending this reply (i.e. the Internet) is and was funded about 80% by the porn mongers. They (satan) will stop at nothing to have us…porn is most definitely mainstream…for those wanting a better search tool try “cathgoogle” http://catholicnewmedia.blogspot.com/2009/01/catholic-google-now-cathgoogle.html

Posted by Thom on Tuesday, Jan, 3, 2012 3:54 PM (EDT):

I have belonged to a twelve step program for Sex Addicts Anonymous for over 17 years. I joined because I am and was a sex addict. My acting out behavior was compulsive masturbation and viewing pornography. I had no ability to stop. When walking by a Playboy calender, I would be sucked in, as if getting to close to a black hole. It is only after working my program very vigilantly that today I can live a life not controlled by porn. Some time after I got started into the program I started to understand how issues of low self esteem could and did control me. Those issues fueled my need to feel better, and I tried to fulfill those issues with a physical substance. My choice was sex. Other people try using alcohol, drugs, money, work, just about anything physical. It is only after I realized that physical things can only relate to my physical being, and I was not relating to my spiritual being, that I started to be released from my addiction issues. Today I live with a great weakness in my life, one that I must always be vigilant about. If I am not careful those issues will raise their ugly head and try to control me again, just like they did when I was a active acting out addict. I don’t have a choice. I either live my program or I will return to my old ways. It is sure a shame that our country and in fact almost all countries consider porn an acceptable part of society. After all we have a free spirit and can make our own decisions. It is such a powerful and destructive force to unleash. Something like an atomic bomb except that an atomic bomb only kills our physical being and porn kills our spiritual being. I remain active in my program to help others find a pathway out of their addictive behaviors, and to keep myself sober from the destructive behaviors. I started with my sexual acting out, and today look at all of my actions to determine if they are another form of acting out. My basis for any acting out behavior is, ” Is this destructive to me or does it build me up”. Things like going to a food buffet and after you pay your money you can eat all that you want, but when does it go from eating a healthy amount to eating a compulsive amount. It is a real shame that our society is pushing the boundaries of living into the area of excessive living. We can’t seem to get enough of anything. In God’s peace Thom,

Posted by Maggie on Tuesday, Jan, 3, 2012 3:49 PM (EDT):

Excellent. Some where between 1959 and 1975 common sense and common decency were also thrown out.

Posted by Donna on Tuesday, Jan, 3, 2012 3:35 PM (EDT):

In his Theology of the Body, Blessed JPII made a distinction between two types of ‘porn’ - pornography, which is licentious writing, and pornovision, which is licentious images. Both are, of course, sinful, but men tend to gravitate towards the latter while women are more attracted to the former.
Both things are all over the Internet, but the images tend to get more criticism, since they can be instantly identified as obscene, whereas writing needs to be read before it is recognized as pornographic.

Posted by Lee Gilbert on Tuesday, Jan, 3, 2012 3:28 PM (EDT):

The real problem for the Catholic parent is how to keep oneself and the kids plugged into the mainstream media without all becoming addicted to pornography, the television, video games, etc. It’s necessary to stay plugged in, because one always wants to come off as a regular guy and not be regarded as a religious nut or an extremist of any sort.

As for pornography, it’s important to keep the really egregious, hard core stuff out. Build a wall with filters etc, but let the entry level pornography stream through your home in floods. If one of your kids gets swept away, well you did your best, at least within the very reasonable parameters of 6 to 8 hrs of televised sports every weekend.

Just a heads up, though, in the few moments we have before the Last Judgment: When Jesus Christ said, “If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away…” He wasn’t talking about eyes. He was talking precisely about going to extremes to avoid sin, something most Catholic parents would prefer to avoid if at all possible.

Then when their kids fall away, get swept up in the culture and destroyed from the inside out, they can look up at God with tears in their eyes and say, “Why God?! I did my best.”

In other words, these expressions of horror at the “culture” of porn etc, are fundamentally absurd. Most Catholic parents are vectors of that culture into their own homes. They supply the connection to their own family rooms, permit the camera phones, and complain about the culture on their way to Best Buy to pick up an even bigger television.

Posted by AntonioM on Tuesday, Jan, 3, 2012 2:58 PM (EDT):

Re comment by RichardC: Instead of examining definitions I would recommend shifting the paradigm for answering the dilemma whether something is right (“permissible”?) or wrong. Instead, I would recommend asking what thought or action would get me closer to what God wants me to do in order to get closer to Him and to become more Christ-like. That is, following an argument by Fr. Larry Richards in his “Surrender” book: I first have to think as Christ does and then do what He would do. In this specific case, If I want to imitate Christ, would I appease my conscience by doing something (e.g. pornography or masturbation) just because of an arguably vague definition? Or should focus on what should be closer to true Love? Of course, we are weak, yet strong when Jesus is with us.

Posted by George Kadlec on Tuesday, Jan, 3, 2012 2:38 PM (EDT):

A few Chesterton quotes:

“There are an infinite number of ways to fall, but there is only one way to stand.”

“I believe in getting into hot water; it keeps you clean.”

“Be careful not to be so open-minded that your brains fall out.”

“I want a church that moves the world not one that moves with it”

“Take away the supernatural and what remains is the unnatural”

“Moral issues are always terribly complex for someone without principles.”

“When men cease to believe in God they do not thereafter believe in nothing; they believe in anything!”

“Only a live fish can swim against the current, the dead go with it.”

George Orwell stated “During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”

Posted by Paul Bennett on Tuesday, Jan, 3, 2012 2:32 PM (EDT):

So true. That break-a-taboo-to-remove-its-power-over-you is a classic trick of Satan’s that can be traced back to Eden. It has been used by Gnostics and Masons in their pathetic secret ceremonies over the ages. The few heterosexual cases in the Church sex abuse scandal can be traced back to it as well. It starts with masturbation-is-natural, moves on to fantasies-are-healthy, and ends with a scandal or a crime. It always ends with misery (like Lenny Bruce, Joe Badolai and thousands of others), but it’s sure to crop up again with the next generation.

Posted by Nadster on Tuesday, Jan, 3, 2012 2:08 PM (EDT):

The guy who introduced me to porn 30+ years ago was just arrested for alledgedly molesting a 14-year old. Glad I lost interest early on.

Posted by Fr Bill on Tuesday, Jan, 3, 2012 1:26 PM (EDT):

Check out The Pink Cross Foundation for a look at what ex-porn stars think about pornography. And maybe you can help the foundation save more men and women from the industry.

Posted by Paladin on Tuesday, Jan, 3, 2012 12:10 PM (EDT):

@RichardC: Please don’t let yourself get into (what 12-step programs call) “stinkin’ thinkin’” (i.e. the slippery slope by which we compartmentalise, rationalise, hair-split and numb ourselves and our consciences to what are real sins. Believe me: I know what it’s like to be weak, and to be scrupulous at the same time; it’s maddening! But in matters of sexuality, no “nudie magazine” is morally safe, and reading them is always objectively wrong, and we should avoid them like the plague. If you doubt in Playboy’s case: do remember who created it [Hugh Hefner], what his objective is, how much money he makes, and how he lives [morally and sexually]; he’s not Bernini, carving a nude Greek version of Daphne escaping Apollo! My prayers are with you, friend! (As for masturbation: hair-splitting is equally dangerous; any deliberate stimulation of the sex organs outside of loving sexual union with your lawful wife [whether in the act itself, or as prelude, since both are good and permitted, so long as they’re oriented toward the loving good of the other, and if God is welcome and not excluded] is objectively wrong, and it is to be shunned like poison… even though the poison be sugar-coated!)

Posted by Quid est Veritas? on Tuesday, Jan, 3, 2012 11:44 AM (EDT):

My brothers and sisters and I are homeschooled. The way Daddy has our internet access set up is that all of the computers are in a common area where everyone can see them and none of us have internet access on our iPods. He also has filters set up for us and if we know that the filter is blocking something for no good reason, we just ask him or Mom to key in the password to see the website.
We also don’t have cable, just DVDs which are previewed for inappropriate dress or dancing. There is also a great website we use to find out about movies made after 1997 called kidsinmind.

Posted by Mary De Voe on Tuesday, Jan, 3, 2012 9:29 AM (EDT):

@Rover Serton: When an atheist, or someone who thinks he is an atheist says: “I AM an atheist”, he contradicts himself because God is existence and “I AM” is God’s name. (The devil knows God exists. The devil committed the first sin.)

Posted by RichardC on Tuesday, Jan, 3, 2012 12:04 AM (EDT):

agree with just abrout everything you said. one thing though, Catechism gives a precise definition of pornography—my understanding is the the pictures in Playboy aren’t (or at least weren’t pornography)—though I would guess some of the writing is pornographic. I don’t advocate reading Playboy. It is just that there is a Catechism and it does define pornography. Also, the defintion of masturabation in the Cathechism appears to be different than the one given by St. Thomas Aquinas in the Summa. Maybe the two definitions are reconcilable. I try to let the Catholic Church tell me what a serious sin is. And I am weak. So it matters to me about definitions the Catechism gives for things like pornography and masturbation—and the fact that the definition given by the Catechism at least appears to differ from Aquinas’ demonstrates that these questions are not so simple.

Posted by MissH on Monday, Jan, 2, 2012 11:24 PM (EDT):

Not too long ago I read about an art exhibition (I wish I could remember where, when or what it was called, pretty sure it was someplace in northern Europe) and the show’s intention was to free viewers of their sexual “inhibitions” and I remember thinking, “Who has any decent sexual inhibitions left?” This kind of thing is no longer avante garde, or interesting, or useful to anyone but it doesn’t stop some people from beating that dead horse ad nauseum. I saw a Kinsey “erotic art” exhibit once and couldn’t belive how stultifyingly boring and sad they managed to make sex, relatioships and the human body. Destroying all the old taboos HAS made it all so boring. All that’s left now is mindless addiction and general degradation. You know it’s bad when young men are desperately seeking help for porn-induced erectile dysfunction: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cupids-poisoned-arrow/201107/porn-induced-sexual-dysfunction-is-growing-problem
And seeking support so they can love someone in a normal way:

Another sad result of this wide access to Porn: Fewer men in our culture are willing to commit to a single woman for long enough to sire children and raise them to adulthood. Therefore, our Old Age Pension and Medicare schemes are going bankrupt a/c TOO FEW people of working age to support TOO MANY oldsters.
This attitude of sex for pleasure only (no interest in procreation) as a symptom of a dying culture. Most countries in Europe have birthrates below replacement value. Their dominant populations will be replaced by immigrants from other continents. Sad!
TeaPot562

Posted by Julie on Monday, Jan, 2, 2012 10:04 PM (EDT):

I’m a huge fan of openDNS, but it doesn’t protect all devices. Our iPod touches don’t get blocked by their filters…only the desktop and laptop computers.

Posted by anna lisa on Monday, Jan, 2, 2012 9:46 PM (EDT):

Yes, homeschoolers go away to college and get their brains blown by porno. (According to my sons) So it is less about the barrier that Mom and Dad can erect (important too), and more about parents who model virtue, talk to their kids *frequently*,and address it before it’s too late.
As for “fundys”, I’m almost speechless that you would say that. Sometimes I think fundys are the Devil’s best weapon.

Posted by Rover Serton on Monday, Jan, 2, 2012 9:14 PM (EDT):

Odd comment:
What is a fundamentalist anyway other than someone who says something unpleasant that you know to be true?

Unless you are talking about some other kind of Fundy, I suspect you dont’ believe the flat earth, 6000 year old, ID stuff is true.

Posted by Mr. Patton on Monday, Jan, 2, 2012 9:09 PM (EDT):

“Once upon a time, pornography was a rare thing.”

LOL!!! Nice story…:)

Posted by Matt on Monday, Jan, 2, 2012 8:20 PM (EDT):

Covenant Eyes software is a great way to make yourself (and anyone else) accountable for internet usage. It tracks every single site (yes, every site), and send an email report to your accountability partners. Once you visit the porn site, there’s no way of getting out of your partners finding out. There’s also a function to filter out sites, and you can add your own.

The only way to keep your kids from porn is to not allow them to use the internet unsupervised.

Posted by Ryan on Monday, Jan, 2, 2012 8:00 PM (EDT):

For homeschoolers (and anyone with an internet connection), I would recommend OpenDNS.com. It’s a filter that replaces your ISP’s DNS server and lives at the router level. Once it’s installed on the router it’s very difficult to defeat without the password (which you keep in your safe), and it protects all devices (including phones) on your local network.

Posted by Chardin on Monday, Jan, 2, 2012 7:49 PM (EDT):

Two years ago, I would’ve used this as yet another argument for home schooling, but, alas, my homeschooled eighth grader has discovered the thrill of on-line pornography. Home schooling is absolutely still the best defense against the toxic culture we live in, but all the “net protection” programs in the world won’t stop exposure. One computer in a common room (kitchen, living room) with constant parental/adult traffic and you might have a chance on limiting exposure. Also, get the kids used to the practice of going to Confession BEFORE the age of porn thrill seeking. When you catch them (you always will) the relief on their face as they walk out of the confessional is priceless.

Posted by Matt on Monday, Jan, 2, 2012 7:21 PM (EDT):

Porn is not glamorous and anyone who thinks it doesn’t know the truth about it. By contributing to the “demand”, you’re contributing to the destruction of souls, even if you only view porn on free sites. If you haven’t already, visit ShelleyLubben.com to see what the porn industry doesn’t want you to see, the physical abuse, rapes, degradation, coercion, intimidation, and real life accounts of the women and men who survived and escaped the porn industry.

Posted by Elle on Monday, Jan, 2, 2012 4:59 PM (EDT):

Pornography and ex-husband’s weakness for it is in large part what ruined my marriage. He used it for 6 hours a day that I knew of, ignored family or raged at us, objectified me, etc. Horrible. Ironically, said I had hang up when found out about the porn and called him on it. He was/is slave to porn. Taught children it is completely normal, all women are whores, etc.

Posted by Mary De Voe on Monday, Jan, 2, 2012 3:44 PM (EDT):

Sanctions are set in place against pornography to protect and provide for the virgins, the innocents and the newly conceived, the immortal souls, created in perfect moral and legal innocence, the standard of Justice for our nation. It is the duty of the state to protect the virgin souls of its constituents. It is the will of the people, and necessary for survival. As for the “reality” of pornography and the freedom of speech, only TRUH, the whole TRUTH and nothing but the TRUTH is permissible in the Supreme Court. Pornography is definitely around but it is inimical to the truth about human sexuality, for the purpose of human love, and especially to freedom. Pornography is addictive, enslaving persons’ hearts and minds and souls to itself, detrimental to reason and destroyer of peace and the common good. As for peace keeping officers, pornography needs to be sanctioned, for pornography is perjury in a court of law…all addictiveness is contrary to freedom.

Posted by Renae on Monday, Jan, 2, 2012 3:28 PM (EDT):

Wonderful article!

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Patrick Archbold is co-founder of Creative Minority Report, a Catholic website that puts a refreshing spin on the intersection of religion, culture, and politics. When not writing, Patrick is director of information technology at a large international logistics company in New York.